The motion lists several of the challenges facing the health and sustainability of street trees. “The xylella disease renders many trees nonviable and in need of replacement; the city’s comprehensive sidewalk repair program will necessitate the removal of many mature trees; and new construction often impacts the urban canopy within a neighborhood.” Although the City Council has worked to address these concerns, Krekorian believes it is time to revisit our city’s street tree policies with a focus on making them better.
Krekorian’s motion instructs the Urban Forestry Division of the Bureau of Street Services to take stock of LA’s current tree canopies and report on how the current tree removal and replacement policies have impacted them. It also mandates a new urban forestry management plan that will result in a more sustainable urban forest with greater diversity and resiliency, encourage increased plantings in neighborhoods that lack tree cover, and grow the number of trees planted throughout the city.
Click here to read the motion.